Some 60 people filled the church for the meeting, which was set at the request of the Northampton Trust Coalition. The coalition wants to protect immigrants who get stopped for traffic violations and other minor matters from being turned over to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement department. Immigrants who are in the U.S. without proper documentation can be sent back to their native countries if discovered.

Northampton police already have a practice of not communicating with ICE on such matters, according to Chief Russell P. Sienkiewicz, but the Trust Coalition wants the mayor to codify that practice in an executive order.

"When asked directly if he was ready to write an executive policy, he answered simply, 'Si,'" said Council President William H. Dwight, who was also at the meeting. Dwight was among several councilors in attendance. Narkewicz returned early from his vacation for the meeting.

Some city councilors have sponsored a resolution calling on the mayor to issue just such an executive order, but that will no longer be necessary. Narkewicz said he will have the language worked out by next week.

Narkewicz said his order will not apply to the legal system, which requires judges to advise defendants pleading guilty to crimes that they can be deported if they are not legally in the U.S.

"I think the meeting went well," Narkewicz said Friday. "People had the opportunity to tell their stories. Children spoke about their fear of being stopped and detained by the police and having their parents reported."

Despite the police practice of complying with the wishes of the Trust Coalition, Dwight did not consider the mayor's order overkill.